Archive for the 'The Jam' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

October 20th, 2012, 3:05 pm by GEORGE A. PAUL, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Paul Weller at John Varvatos' 10 Years in West Hollywood Celebration, two nights before he played the Greek. Photo: Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Paul Weller's Greek Theatre show had only been underway a short time when he arrived at the snappy, new retro-leaning ditty “That Dangerous Age.” The lyrical protagonist goes through a midlife crisis, but this legendary rocker sure didn't sing it from recent personal experience.

Back home in England, Weller is nearly as popular now at 54 as he was fronting the trailblazing punk/R&B trio the Jam at 24. Headlining large venues and festivals is still the norm there, and all his solo albums have gone Top 10. The strong current one, Sonik Kicks, came out last spring and entered the U.K. charts at No. 1. Noel Gallagher, Blur's Graham Coxon, the High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan are among those who assisted in the studio.

Unquestionably, the past few years have seen the Modfather (as Weller is affectionately known) craft some of the most adventurous and compelling music of his lengthy career. Here in America, the singer/guitarist remains a revered cult figure among a brilliant talent roster at North Carolina-based independent label Yep Roc Records.

Initial dates supporting Sonik Kicks included an entire run through the new collection. Nowadays Weller leans toward doing quick concert blitzes through select North American cities, and Los Angeles was the only proper West Coast stop in 2012. The Greek didn't come close to being sold out Friday night, yet it was still his biggest Southern California appearance in 20 years, when he last headlined at the Griffith Park venue.

What a remarkable transformation has taken place with Arctic Monkeys in just five years. Make that the better part of three, actually, from winter 2008 -- when they began working with Josh Homme on their polarizing, transitional but kinda crucial third album, Humbug -- to this spring, as the four Brits have been east-to-west crossing the States in anticipation of their excellent fourth album, Suck It and See. It's been streaming all week, dropping officially on Tuesday, and it's a winner – easily their best studio creation yet, and the most exciting item in the Alex Turner catalog since the Monkeys' already landmark debut.

That album, an Internet sensation that became the fastest-selling in U.K. history, introduced the most striking English songwriter to emerge in the past decade, a pup prodigy from grandfather Ray Davies' lineage, one instantly exhibiting -- and at a similarly young age -- the wiry energy and prodigious verbal gifts of influential dads like Costello, Weller and Partridge in their nascent days.

Likewise, the lean, ripping rush of music the band attached to his words was as electrifying as the Jam and XTC at their starts -- but just as limiting. Arctic Monkeys have been trying to successfully beef up and expand their sound ever since, turbo-charging the debut's formula for Favourite Worst Nightmare, then taking a hard left into the moodier Humbug, a solid set of songs that has the misfortune of sounding in its production like a master-class lecture from Homme on how to get heavy. (Should AM last long enough to reach Pixies stature -- they're well on their way -- Humbug should be the first album they consider remaking.)

Suck It and See, on the other hand, is an A-grade graduate thesis, presented in a plain off-white wrapper (the small-print title of which, pointlessly but not surprisingly, will be covered by a sticker at certain retailers).

Their time with the King of Queens has undoubtedly had a lasting impact, noticeable from the T. Rex-y grind of the first single, “Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair.” Its falsetto “ooooooh” and hearty “yeah-yeah-yeah” chorus might as well be a lullaby to paralyze, and some of Turner's tawdrier lines -- “do the Macarena in the devil's lair but just (insert title here)” -- seem like the sort he'd toss to Homme (because he can pull 'em off more convincingly), not save for himself.

As long as there are teenagers, sex and some version of a fuzz box available, there will be bands built around loud, distorted guitars. It's such a versatile and evergreen style, as evidenced by Thursday night's pairing of Best Coast and Wavves at the Music Box in Hollywood, two young and acclaimed indie bands taking different paths on their way to noisy ecstasy.

Given that this was a homecoming show for the Echo Park-based Best Coast, San Diego's Wavves made the better impression. A punk-rock trio led by Nathan Williams, their 50-minute set displayed an engaging, tuneful energy not heard on last year's King of the Beach (from Fat Possum Records). With his bratty whine and over-driven guitar rush, this version of Wavves (Williams has been the only constant over three albums and various singles and EPs) most often sounds like late-'70s bands such as Buzzcocks and the Jam, with touches of Gang of Four and the Stooges added for good measure.

While their lyrics often carry an edge of complaint, Wavves made an overall genial impression -- a far cry from the band's past onstage flare-ups. The only noticeable tension came when Williams made a few snide remarks about drummer Jacob Cooper, which was unfortunate given that Cooper's efficient, unfussy playing kept songs from running off the rails. If Williams can keep this lineup together, Wavves could become one of the more interesting punk revivalists.

Led by local star Bethany Cosentino (above, who is also romantically involved with Williams), Best Coast has a more distinctive sound on its debut album, Crazy for You (on Mexican Summer), a critically heralded work that most recently landed the group a slot opening for Weezer. As opposed to Williams' scattershot brattiness, Cosentino sings of boyfriend troubles in a winsome voice floating over billowing guitars. Her mix of girl-group pop and smudged guitars traces roots to that dog., Veruca Salt and the Jesus and Mary Chain.

It's refreshingly spaced-out on album, and has helped turn them into the “It” band of the moment. But Best Coast's live performance here suffered from a lack of energy.

It came as no surprise to discover House of Blues was mostly empty Sunday evening. Nor should any ardent fans of the enduring English post-punk band Gang of Four (I'm a catalog-carrying one) have been taken aback that the Downtown Disney joint was at best half-full by the time our beloved radicals hit the stage. (And I suspect they'll only attract a slightly larger crowd tonight to the Music Box in Hollywood.)

Among the Mouse House crowd … OK, sure, there must have been a few new fans on hand who weren't even born a decade after the group initially broke up, in 1984. An old friend tells me her brother-in-law flew down from Utah to bring his two boys, 12 and 14, all fans. So that's … five fresh faces, maybe?

Then there's another handful (let's be generous and say two dozen) who were always into Gof4 yet somehow repeatedly missed chances to see the real thing in 2005-06, when the original one-of-a-kind lineup -- vocalist Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bassist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham -- reunited for stateside touring that launched with a marvelous appearance at the sixth Coachella festival, on the main stage in a lineup that essentially saw them open for New Order (who were a bit lackluster) and Nine Inch Nails (that was the night Trent Reznor finally took a leaf blower to his cobwebs).

The sight and sound of Gang of Four late that Sunday afternoon -- especially tall and wiry and sometimes spasmodic King beating the structure out of a microwave during “He'd Send the Army,” while Gill, piercingly steel-eyed as ever, slashed at his guitar strings -- is surely burnished into the collective memory of the few thousand hard-core fans who actually stuck around to see it.

But the overriding reason Coachella 2005 was such a memorable one for most people is that it included Arcade Fire's breakout performance on the West Coast. Some consider it the breakout performance of many from that Grammy-winning French Canadian group, whose fierce independent spirit owes at least a wisp to Gang of Four's chief contributions (1979's Entertainment!, 1980's Solid Gold) to the stalwart iconoclasm and wellspring of creativity that emerged in those pivotal post-punk, pre-MTV years, a lifeblood for bands like Arcade Fire.

November 4th, 2010, 3:37 pm by GEORGE A. PAUL, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Paul Weller is definitely a rare breed among musicians who started their careers in the '70s. Few of his contemporaries from British punk rock's first wave (apart from ex-Clash man Mick Jones) still have the restless energy and creative drive necessary to make an adventurous studio album like Wake Up the Nation, which arrived on Yep Roc Records in April.

Guest musicians include drummer Bev Bevan (once of ELO), guitarist Kevin Shields (prime mover behind My Bloody Valentine) and Weller's former bandmate in the Jam, bassist Bruce Foxton, marking the pair's first recording together in more than 25 years. Earlier this year, Nation was nominated for the U.K.'s esteemed Mercury Music Prize, though it lost out to the xx's self-titled debut. But Weller also snagged an Ivor Novello, England's top songwriting award, honoring his lifetime achievement.

An invigorating Wiltern Theatre gig Wednesday night, part of a quick mini-tour with just one Los Angeles date and two in New York City, found Weller, 52, still in peak vocal and musical form. The venue was nearly full, a testament to his continued cult following here; back home in the U.K., arenas are the norm.

A few years back, the Modfather (as Weller is affectionately called) jettisoned his longtime touring band, culled from Ocean Colour Scene, but retained masterful lead guitarist Steve Craddock. This group -- keyboardist Andy Crofts, bassist Andy Lewis and drummer Steve Pilgrim -- were tight throughout the night. Each of them pitched in on background vocals, which made a big difference amid more soulful numbers like “Have You Made Up Your Mind” and a sweeping, Phil Spector-esque “No Tears to Cry.”

• Tiger Army -- They don't seem to play anywhere else these days, so Nick 13 and his psychobilly outfit's third annual Octoberflame bashes, Saturday at 7 and Sunday at 8 at the Grove of Anaheim (2200 E. Katella Ave.), are must-sees for fans. TSOL frontman Jack Grisham and his band the West Coast Dukes will open on Saturday, along with Throw Rag. Mad Sin and Hillbilly Casino open on Sunday. Tickets are $25 each night, not including fees. Act fast -- these gigs will sell out. 714-712-2700, 800-745-3000. grove-of-anaheim.com, ticketmaster.com

• Lady Antebellum -- Hillary Scott and her guys in this award-winning Nashville trio, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, just keep racking up chart-topping country hits from their second album, Need You Now. The group brings its world tour in support of that disc to Nokia Theatre Saturday night at 7, with David Nail opening. The venue is located at 777 Chick Hearn Court, in the downtown L.A. Live plaza. Tickets are $37.50-$44.50, not including fees. 800-745-3000. ticketmaster.com

• Paul Weller -- Finally playing stateside behind his 10th solo album Wake Up the Nation (the first to feature contributions from former bassist Bruce Foxton since Weller's first group, the Jam, broke up in the early '80s), the Modfather, 52, returns to play Wednesday night at the Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., in Los Angeles. Tickets are $45.70-$56.10, including fees. Alessi's Ark will open. 800-745-3000. livenation.com

• DJ Shadow -- Though he hasn't put out an album since 2006 (something fresh is slated for next year), the Northern California groundbreaker born Josh Davis has nonetheless undertaken his most advanced tour yet. Dubbed Live from the Shadowsphere, and featuring Pigeon John as support act, it finds Shadow performing old and new tracks within an illuminated 3D sphere, upon which visual artist Ben Stokes will flash an array of wild imagery. After spending Saturday night at House of Blues Las Vegas, the spectacle moves on to House of Blues Sunset Strip (8490 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood) on Halloween, $30, then Monday at House of Blues Anaheim (1530 S. Disneyland Drive), $27.50. (Those prices do not include fees.) Also at the Mouse House this week: the English Beat, tonight, $25.30; Sevendust with 10 Years, Since October and Anew Revolution, Sunday, $34.55; and Circa Survive with Dredg, Codeseven and Animals as Leaders, Thursday, $26. All of those prices include fees. 714-778-2583, 800-745-3000. hob.com, ticketmaster.com

• Hard Haunted Mansion -- The techno festival returns to the Shrine Expo Hall (700 W. 32nd St., Los Angeles) for a third year this weekend. Saturday's bash, featuring Bloody Beetroots, Rusko, Crookers, Mr. Oizo and more, is sold out but tickets are still available for the Halloween blast, featuring a rare visit from Underworld along with Boys Noize, Calvin Harris, A-Trak, Erol Alkan, Booka Shade and more. Doors open at 6 p.m. each night and curfew is 2 a.m. Tickets are $70-$75 for general admission, $130 for VIP, both sold exclusively online at hardfest.com. Underworld also appear Saturday night at 4th & B in San Diego, $50.15, including fees. 800-745-3000. ticketmaster.com

March 12th, 2010, 2:30 am by KELLI SKYE FADROSKI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

It's summertime 1980, and to keep from getting bored and going mad in the San Fernando Valley, three teenagers have decided to start a punk band.

Jay Bentley, left, the smart aleck who'll later make a habit of dressing in kilts and evenings gowns on stage, just turned 16. He's learning to play bass.

Greg Graffin, center, the brainiac assigned vocals, is still 15, at least for a few more months. Soon enough, he'll be fronting a band opening for an equally young group out of Orange County, Social Distortion.

Brett Gurewitz, right, future indie-label mogul, is two years older and preparing to graduate from the Woodland Hills alma mater where all three met. He just picked up guitar.